How Rise Up Networking provides female entrepreneurs with space to learn and grow

But what if your local networking groups seem stuck in the last century? When three north Leeds business women, Lucy Guest, Emma Bennett and Paz Gill, found that none of the existing groups fitted the bill, they decided to act.

They established Rise Up Networking with the aim of providing female founders and entrepreneurial women with a warm, welcoming space to connect, learn and grow.

“Rise Up Networking came from our own experiences of networking as women in business,’’ said Mrs Bennett, who is also the co-founder of Rise Digital Marketing.

“We were attending events regularly but often leaving feeling like something was missing. Many spaces didn’t feel designed with women in mind, particularly those who are self-employed or building businesses alongside family life.

"We wanted to create a networking group that felt supportive but still commercially focused, somewhere women could build genuine relationships, grow in confidence and talk openly about business without pressure.

"Rise Up was designed to feel welcoming, relaxed and genuinely valuable.”

In particular, Mrs Bennett found that a lot of the networking she had previously experienced felt very transactional.

"There was often a strong focus on pitching, limited understanding of the challenges women face in business, and very little space for real connection,” she added. “Many groups followed rigid formats that didn’t encourage conversation or collaboration. We wanted Rise Up to feel different, less about selling in the room and more about building relationships that lead to long-term growth.”

Rise Up hosts networking events at The Flying Pizza in North Leeds on the first Wednesday of every month at 12pm. These events are open to female founders and entrepreneurial women from across Yorkshire and are designed to feel uplifting, and useful. Each event features a Yorkshire speaker who covers topics such as confidence, leadership, problem solving, strategy and mindset, giving attendees ideas they can apply straight away.

“Each Rise Up event is structured to feel relaxed but purposeful,’ said Ms Bennett, who co-founded Rise Digital Marketing in 2021.” We begin with free networking time so women can connect naturally without pressure, followed by a lunch at The Flying Pizza which helps create a comfortable, social atmosphere.

"Each month there is a guest speaker sharing insight or experience, and members also have the opportunity to showcase their business to around 30 to 35 women in the room. That mix of connection, learning and visibility works incredibly well. The main benefit is confidence. Women leave feeling clearer about their business, more comfortable talking about what they do, and genuinely connected to the people they’ve met.”

In the first year, the group has held 13 events, which have attracted 150 women and raised more than £1,500 for the Yorkshire Children’s Charity, which supports disadvantaged children and young people.

Mrs Bennett said the organisers had listened carefully to attendees.

“We didn’t rush to grow or scale the group quickly, instead we shaped it around what our members actually wanted. That approach has created a stronger, more engaged community. We’ve learned that consistency, trust and authenticity matter far more than size. While digital marketing is essential, face to face networking still plays a huge role in building trust. In person conversations create stronger relationships and quicker understanding than online interaction alone. We see offline networking as something that complements digital visibility. When strong face to face relationships are supported by good online presence, the impact is far greater.”

Alongside the main events, Rise Up also hosts mid-month members meet-ups. Mrs Bennett said these smaller sessions supported the group’s core goals of collaboration, celebrating success and community. These meet-ups are where some of the strongest working relationships and friendships have been formed, according to Mrs Bennett.

“Our speakers talk openly about challenges, confidence, mistakes and growth, which resonates far more than polished success stories. Expansion is something we’re open to, but only if it feels right. We’re very focused on protecting the culture and community that makes Rise Up work. Any growth would be driven by demand and values, not by scale for the sake of it.

“Many members struggle with confidence, visibility, pricing and feeling isolated as self-employed business owners. Often, they’re brilliant at what they do but unsure how to talk about it, market themselves or get found by the right people. “Being in a room with other women facing the same challenges helps members feel supported and less alone, while also giving them the clarity and confidence to take practical steps forward in their business.

“Supporting the Yorkshire Children’s Charity is something that’s really close to our hearts,’’ she added. “ As business owners and parents, we’re very aware that not every child grows up with the same opportunities, and the work the charity does across Yorkshire is incredibly important. Through Rise Up Networking, we try to support where we can by raising awareness, backing fundraising efforts and using our platform and connections to shine a light on the charity’s work. It’s important to us that Rise Up isn’t just about business growth, but about using business as a force for good locally. If women say Rise Up was the place they found their voice, built meaningful relationships or felt less alone, then we’ll know we’ve done something right. We’d love the network to be known as a supportive and trusted space that genuinely helped women move forward.”